Rio Intensifies Crime Crackdown With Raids, High-Profile Arrests and New Police Tools

Overview

• Police in Rio reported the arrest of five alleged trafficking leaders from other states in less than a week.
• Investigators discovered a clandestine cemetery in Rio das Pedras, with aerial images documenting the site.
• The Military Police demolished a warehouse identified as a hideout for stolen vehicles.
• The Copacabana battalion received 33 vehicles equipped for suspect identification and automatic license-plate reading.
• Separately, the European Union confirmed approval of the EU–Mercosur trade agreement, with a signing scheduled for January 17.